Reg.Nr.

Boulouki – Travelling Workshop on Traditional Building

Boulouki – Travelling Workshop on Traditional Building is a Greek non-profit collective of architects, engineers and heritage professionals dedicated to safeguarding and revitalising traditional building craftsmanship. Established in 2018, the organisation promotes a renewed ...
Read more

Project details

Title:Boulouki – Travelling Workshop on Traditional Building
Entr. year: 2024
Result:Award
Country: Greece
Town: Agrilia, Therasia
Category type: training, education
Notes:European Heritage Awards 2024 — Education, Training and Skills category. Award Winner.
Building type/ Project type: Cultural/Natural landscape
Actual use:Travelling workshops, vocational apprenticeships, heritage conservation training and community participation
Architect / Proj.leader: Panagiotis Kostoulas
The Jury's citation: Boulouki’s activities show a remarkable commitment to preserving the Cyclades’ unique landscape, that is under increasing pressure from tourism development and was recently listed as one of the 7 Most Endangered sites of 2024. Its exemplary approach encompasses research, documentation, community engagement, and training, and has a strong commitment to sustainability through the reuse of heritage. The collective has succeeded in training in drystone walling, a technique inscribed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Boulouki’s activities have strong social, environmental and economic values. They promote social integration by bringing people of different ages and origins together, they champion the use of local materials and they support the preservation of the built and natural landscape. Boulouki sets a strong example for further restoration projects, highlighting the transformative power of heritage in promoting sustainable development.
Web, Links:

www.boulouki.org

Description:
Boulouki – Travelling Workshop on Traditional Building is a Greek non-profit collective of architects, engineers and heritage professionals dedicated to safeguarding and revitalising traditional building craftsmanship. Established in 2018, the organisation promotes a renewed building culture based on local materials, traditional techniques, sustainable construction practices and the transmission of knowledge between generations. Boulouki operates through four interconnected pillars: education, research, practice and public dialogue. Its itinerant approach brings training activities to different regions of Greece, adapting each programme to the local architectural heritage, landscape and community. Educational activities include hands-on workshops, professional apprenticeships and participatory conservation initiatives, bringing together experienced craftspeople, students, academics, professionals and local residents. A representative initiative is Under the Landscape, launched in 2021 in the Santorini Archipelago. The project involves the participatory restoration of a traditional cobblestone pathway and two underground rainwater cisterns, combining practical training with the conservation of vernacular architecture and cultural landscapes. Through the use of local materials and traditional craftsmanship, including drystone walling, the programme promotes environmentally responsible building practices and community involvement. Boulouki also organises guided walks, lectures, seminars, cultural mapping activities and public celebrations to encourage dialogue about heritage and sustainable development. The collective is developing a dedicated research and training centre for traditional building skills in a former school building in the mountainous Epirus region. Recognised with a European Heritage Award in the Education, Training and Skills category in 2024, Boulouki demonstrates how traditional craftsmanship can support heritage conservation, vocational education, social inclusion and sustainable development while strengthening connections between local communities and their built environment.